Downfall

In November 1942, Adolf Hitler interviews several young women for the position of personal secretary and selects Traudl Junge. She enters the inner circle and begins handling his daily schedule and correspondence. The moment marks Junge’s rise to become a central voice in the film’s narration.

On 20 April 1945, Red Army artillery opens the assault on Berlin as the city braces for its final stand. Himmler attempts to persuade Hitler to flee, while Fegelein also tries to influence him but fails. Ernst-Günther Schenck remains in Berlin to safeguard civilians, defying the chaos around him.

In the Führerbunker, Hitler refuses permission for a retreat by the 9th Army and presses for a counter-attack by Steiner’s units and Wenck’s 12th Army. He also publicly honors Peter Kranz for destroying enemy tanks, elevating him above his own generals. The moment underscores the surreal persistence of his stubborn resolve.

Albert Speer visits the bunker to push a plan that would preserve Germany’s infrastructure. Hitler insists on a scorched-earth stance, arguing that the German people deserve death. The clash reveals the widening rift between pragmatic governance and total war ideology.

Eva Braun holds a party in the Reich Chancellery, oblivious to the collapsing situation around them. Artillery fire soon interrupts the gathering, interrupting any sense of celebration. She also refuses Fegelein’s pleas to flee Berlin with him.

General Helmuth Weidling learns he’s been sentenced to death for moving his command post, but he reports to the Führerbunker to clear his name. Impressed by his action, Hitler promotes him to commander of Berlin’s defense. The move centralizes the city’s remaining defenses under a trusted hand.

Hitler learns Steiner’s weakened forces did not counter-attack as ordered and erupts in a furious tirade against his generals. He openly acknowledges the war is lost and vows to commit suicide rather than surrender or abandon Berlin. The confession marks a turning point in the bunker’s already doomed atmosphere.

Propaganda Minister Goebbels presses Mohnke to stop sending inexperienced troops into combat, but he signals there is little hope. He dismisses any notion of mercy and asserts that the German people, having proved weaker than their enemies, deserve their fate. The exchange showcases the collapse of morale at the top.

Hitler receives a telegram from Reichsmarschall Göring requesting delegated state leadership in Hitler’s absence. In response, Hitler orders Göring’s arrest for treason. The moment demonstrates how far the inner circle had fractured.

Albert Speer visits one last time and admits he defied the scorched-earth order. Hitler dismisses him, not for punishment but with a clear sense of personal betrayal. The moment underscores the isolation and paranoia inside the bunker.

Hitler learns of Heinrich Himmler’s secret negotiations with the Allies and reacts with fury. He orders Himmler’s execution as a traitor, further deteriorating the diplomatic options for the regime. Berlin’s world is shrinking to the bunker’s claustrophobic walls.

Fegelein’s plans to desert Berlin are discovered and he is executed on Hitler’s orders, despite Eva Braun’s pleas. The incident highlights the regime’s resolve to purge even intimate circles of dissent. The brutal act contrasts with the personal relationships still present in the bunker.

Hitler dictates his last will and testament to Traudl Junge, then marries Eva Braun in an early morning ceremony. The rituals underscore a yearning for normalcy even as the collapse accelerates. The duo’s actions crystallize the endgame of his rule.

Hitler tests poison on his dog Blondi before taking his own life with Eva Braun. The couple’s bodies are carried out for cremation in the Chancellery garden, sealing the final, ritual acts of the regime. The scene marks the irreversible end of the Nazi leadership’s power.

In the final hours, Krebs fails to negotiate a ceasefire and Burgdorf takes his own life. Magda Goebbels poisons her six children. Walther Hewel also commits suicide in the bunker. Amid the chaos, Traudl Junge escapes the bunker and is later joined by Peter Kranz.